This homemade liquor makes the most of pumpkin's earthy flavors. Store-bought versions often don't have that, and they contain way too much sugar and spice.

Have you ever wanted to pour the taste of fall into a bottle? Pumpkin season peaks around Halloween and wanes by the time Thanksgiving guests leave town. But during that brief period, consumers are bombarded with pumpkins, along with the all things pumpkin spice related, including cookies, lattes and pies.

For those of us whose tastes veer towards stronger stuff, the great pumpkin onslaught can seem a bit lacking. Once you've tired of consuming the sweet option, vodka is the answer. And while it's true that pumpkin liquor can be purchased in many a market, the seasonal liquor usually lacks finesse. The amber booze tends to be a clumsy attempt at making a liquid version of pumpkin pie, laden with sugar and pumped with way too much spice and additives, obliterating the earthy notes of the whole point of the exercise: pumpkin.

In this recipe, the extra effort required to infuse vodka with pumpkin is time well-spent. The additional step of roasting pumpkin cubes and adding a mix of whole spices, instead of using puree, makes the filtering process a breeze. Patience does the rest, since DIY pumpkin liquor only gets better with time.

Prep time:30 minutes

Total time:1 hour plus 6 weeks

Yields:About 1 quart

Spiced Pumpkin Liquor

Equipment you'll need

1 1-quart wide-mouthed jar

1 6-cup wide-mouthed jar

1 plastic funnel

Cheese cloth or unbleached coffee filter

Decanter

Ingredients

2 cupswater

1 cupgranulated white sugar

3 teaspoonspure vanilla extract

3cinnamon sticks, cracked

6whole allspice

6whole cloves

3 inchesfresh ginger, halved

Pinchground nutmeg

2 to 3 lb.organic sugar pumpkin, cubed

4 cupsmid-priced vodka

2 tablespoonspure maple syrup, optional

2 tablespoonsbourbon, optional

Cooking directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

To make syrup, bring water to boil in heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add sugar. Stir and reduce heat. Add vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, clove, ginger and nutmeg. Stir and remove from heat. Allow syrup to cool, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prep the pumpkin. Scrub and place on cutting board or counter lined with newspaper. Using a sharp chef's knife remove stem, then cut pumpkin in half. Scoop out seeds and scrape pumpkin flesh to remove pulp and any seeds that remain. Reserve seeds for other food and garden projects. Cut pumpkin into 1-inch cubes.

Place cubed pumpkin on baking sheet. Cook until tender about 40 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.

Strain contents through funnel lined with cheesecloth into a 6-cup jar or decanter. Seal and store in a cool dark place for up five to six weeks. Shake periodically. Strain contents into a clean bottle. Age liquor up for up to one year to drink neat or to pour over dessert.